Boston College running back Andre Williams (44) runs for a touchdown during the second half against Maryland on Saturday at Byrd Stadium. / Tommy Gilligan, USA TODAY Sports

by Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports

by Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports

On Nov. 13, Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley gave coach Will Muschamp a vote of confidence that violated mathematical reason while, in many ways, defying logic. "I'm a thousand percent convinced that Will Muschamp is the guy to lead this football program," Foley said.

The Gators were 4-5 at that point, having just lost 34-17 to Vanderbilt to fall to the outer fringes of bowl eligibility. In the two games since, UF has lost to South Carolina, losing once again to former coach Steve Spurrier, and â?? most painful of all â?? lost at home to Football Championship Subdivision member Georgia Southern. In the latter, the Gators lost despite not allowing a single completion through the air.

Saturday's loss secures Florida's first losing season since 1979. It also pushed the current losing streak to seven games, the program's longest since the same season. It also raised a significant question: When Foley said he had 1,000% confidence in Muschamp's ability to lead Florida, did he mean it?

Here are a few other winners and losers from Saturday's college football action:

WINNERS

Oklahoma: The Sooners remained in the at-large Bowl Championship Series mix by beating a much-improved Kansas State team , 41-31, to move to 9-2. Impressively, OU was able to beat the hot Wildcats â?? winners of four in a row heading into Saturday â?? despite missing two key offensive contributors, running back Damien Williams and wide receiver Lacoltan Bester, and starting redshirt freshman Trevor Knight at quarterback. Oklahoma will have much to play for beyond in-state bragging rights when it meets Oklahoma State on Dec. 7.

Michigan State: The Spartans' defense stands alongside Alabama, Florida State, Alabama and Wisconsin as the nation's best. What has made this year's team different has been the development of sophomore quarterback Connor Cook, who moved to 9-1 as Michigan State's starter after Saturday's easy 30-6 win against Northwestern. How good can MSU be when it combines a top-flight defense with a productive passing game? Good enough to hang with anyone, with this season as evidence, and perhaps good enough to knock off Ohio State for the Big Ten championship in December.

Boston College: Saturday's victory against Maryland gave Boston College seven in 2013, exceeding the program's output in 2011 and 2012 combined. Considering what he inherited and how the program bottomed out prior to his arrival, first-year coach Steve Addazio is very deserving of a spot in the conversation for national coaching hardware. The real story, however, has been the play of running back Andre Williams. With 263 yards against the Terrapins, Williams has rushed 897 yards in his last three games and more than 2,000 for the season, potentially earning the senior an invitation to Manhattan for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

Missouri. South Carolina sits in the clubhouse at 6-2 in the SEC, a half-game behind Missouri but still ahead, in a sense, due to an advantageous head-to-head tiebreaker. But the Tigers are still in control of their own fate in the SEC, especially after beating Mississippi on the road, 24-10, to move within one more win of an East Division championship. It's very simple: Beating Texas A&M on Nov. 30 gives Missouri the division and a date with either Alabama or Auburn in the SEC championship game on Dec. 7. A loss, on the other hand, sends the Gamecocks to Atlanta.

LOSERS

Oregon: In the span of three weeks, Oregon went from a spot in the BCS National Championship Game to second place in the Pac-12 North Division; from second place in the South back into first; and after Saturday, back into second place in the division. There will be no bounce-back weekend to lift the Ducks back into the BCS mix â?? with a win Saturday against California, Stanford secured the South title and a spot in the conference title game on Dec. 7. This was no ordinary loss for coach Mark Helfrich and the Ducks: Arizona gave Oregon the Oregon treatment, scoring 42 points and stifling one of the nation's most potent offenses.

Texas A&M: The Aggies' only hope of earning an at-large BCS bid demanded wins against LSU and Mississippi to end the regular season. Likewise for Johnny Manziel's quest to claim another Heisman Trophy, with the sophomore entering Saturday well within striking distance of Florida State's Jameis Winston. After a 34-10 loss to the Tigers, you can say goodnight to both: A&M is not reaching the BCS, Manziel is not winning the Heisman.

Baylor: Losing to Oklahoma State hurts Baylor on three fronts. Consider the nature of the loss itself, with the Cowboys bottling up the Bears' record-setting offense for all of three quarters and most of a fourth. After a year devoid of any drama, Baylor was cut down to size in a hostile environment. Then there's the idea that the Bears can only take home the Big 12 by beating Texas on Dec. 7 while OSU loses to rival Oklahoma. Finally, and worst of all, Art Briles' bunch is no longer a threat to play for the national championship. Maybe next year.

Arkansas: Former Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema - who led the Badgers to three Rose Bowl appearances in a row from 2010-12 - is finding tougher sledding in the SEC. After losing 24-17 in overtime to Mississippi State, the Razorbacks sit a loss Nov.30 to LSU away from going winless in conference play for the first time since 1942.

Paul Myerberg, a national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports, is on Twitter @PaulMyerberg.